Although the domain name of this website might suggest a strong bias against Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) surgery for hyperhidrosis, that is not true. Sympathectomy does seem to be a highly effective remedy for many people suffering from sweaty hands. However, there are nowadays a number of safer alternative non-surgical remedies to cure or ameliorate hyperhidrosis. ETS surgery destroys part of your sympathetic nervous system permanently and causes side effects in 100 percent of patients, the extent of which ranges from relatively benign to life destructing. I consider my own side effects to be closer to benign since my significantly increased feet sweating post-sympathectomy has now been cured by HIDREX iontophoresis. Some side effects such as gustatory sweating only appear several years after the surgery. Sympathectomy should only be considered as a choice of treatment after the numerous other alternatives have been explored (discuss in the hyperhidrosis forum). Unfortunately, most surgeons downplay and don't fully disclose all the side effects of sympathectomy due to the lucrative nature of this quickie half hour surgical procedure and/or due to an inflated ego. Moreover, a majority of surgeons devote minimal information (that is usually critical) on their websites regarding alternative treatments such as iontophoresis and botox.
This website's mission is:
Besides hyperhidrosis, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is often used to "cure" severe Facial Blushing, Social Phobia, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Causalgia, Raynaud's Syndrome and a number of other such problems. Many surgeons have stopped offering ETS as a cure for most of these problems due to frequent ineffectiveness, symptom re-occurrences and unwanted side effects. All ethical surgeons no longer offer sympathectomy for the sole purpose of eliminating excessive armpit (axillary) sweating. It is normal to sweat in the armpits, while botox seems to be highly effective at stopping armpit sweating for months at a stretch. Many creams and lotions are also very effective at reducing armpit sweating. Various types of sweat gland excision surgeries in the armpits are also reasonably effective and certainly less invasive than ETS. A few surgeons nowadays also recommend not getting ETS just to eliminate excessive facial sweating or facial blushing. Lumbar sympathectomy to stop excessive feet sweating was on the verge of obsolescence until 2008, when some eminent surgeons felt that its side effects were not as significant as thought of previously. I recommend NOT getting lumbar sympathectomy unless you want to be a selfless human test subject sample in this currently ongoing experiment.
The International Hyperhidrosis Society has excellent resources for further information on hyperhidrosis treatments.
Check out the pages on potential non-surgical cures for hyperhidrosis and short-term and long-term side effects from having hyperhidrosis surgery before proceeding to the forums or booking the surgery. Most importantly, remember that the ganglions/nerves that are killed during ETS are underneath the chest near the ribs, and not inside your hands or feet or face as you would think. These ganglions are part of your sympathetic nervous system that affects numerous parts and mechanisms of your body -- ranging from your hypothalamus to heart rate. Moreover, the effectiveness of ETS nerve graft reversal surgery is still unclear.
Note that some of the information on this website is based on my personal opinion. Most ETS surgeons have told me that the content on my website is scientifically accurate. I have tried to keep it unbiased and accurate as best possible. Being a hyperhidrosis sufferer who has tried most treatments, who has had ETS surgery in 1998, and who has communicated with numerous hyperhidrosis patients, surgeons, surgery marketing companies and non-surgical treatment product vendors, I provide an invaluable source of information that is not contaminated by financial self-interests. Using the above contact methods, please let me know if there are any errors you find on this website, or if you have any ideas for improvements in the content and layout. Please read the whole site and post on the forums before e-mailing me any questions, as I get a lot of e-mails and do not always have time to respond.
This website was first published on the web in November 2005, but then redesigned with the addition of the hyperhidrosis forum and republished in January 2006.
All content on this site is copyrighted material.
